Melodia

Welcome to Melodia, brother! What? You're not a member of the Harmonium? Guards! Guards!

- Merchant of Melodia

Character

When people live together, work together, and love together, they begin to know the patterns of each others' lives. With love and some discipline, everything else just falls into place - almost like pieces of a puzzle. The ends usually justify the means.

Ruler

Nicolai Mabru is the dominant power in this town. he's a short-looking berk with a hairless head and a ready smile. He's whipping and moves quickly. Still, there's and undefinable aura around him, something that makes him seem altogether bigger. Some people report seeing an entirely different person's visage flashing at them when the light is right, but no one can back this up.
Here's the dark: It's Nicolai's tiefling heritage manifesting. His spirit's occasionally reflected on the outside as a tall, dark man, with flashing eyes and floating hair framing an angry face. This aspect's usually set off when Nicolai's cool temper is finally ignited, so he does his best to make sure he maintains his composure. The result is that he's one of the most collected sods the PCs will ever meet.
Nicolai rules the town with an open hand: the people know how to act and what to do. He gets involved only when outsiders're acting like leatherheads in his town. Even then, he can usually count on the militia or the townsfolk to keep the disturbance to a minimum.

Behind the Throne

The true ruler of Melodia is Killeen Caine, a high-up in the Harmonium secondarily only to the factol. He's above giving direct orders to Mabru, which is just as well, but he does offer suggestions to the mayor which are never declined. Since both are members of the faction, and Caine outranks Mabru, there's really nothing Mabru can do to disobey without turning stag completely. Mabru's a little resentful, but dares take no action against Caine. Caine, of course, realizes this and tries to keep his influence to a minimum; but when there's an action that'll benefit the Harmonium, well, how can he help but act?

Description

This is the home town of the Harmonium, the police force of Sigil. It's also one of the nicest places a body can find - if that body likes law and order, peace and quiet, and secure knowledge that criminals're going to be caught sooner or later. The whoel town (about 10.000 people of one flavor or another) is like a great big family, and everyone seems to know everyone else.
To tell the truth, they at least know each other's faces, and can spot a new person immediately. They'll follow and scrutinize that soul until the rulers of the city and the militia are satisfied that the visitors means no harm. This can take anywhere from minutes to year.
As is often the case with lawful types, the people of Melodia've learned to live with each other so well that they work as a single organism. One group finishes what another starts, so there's no extra work for any one group. There's also precious little entertainment - Melodia's idea of fun is to listen to speeches in the central square, or to sing hyms in the local curch, or to make sure that everyone's taken care of. their idea of fun, in short, would stifle an archon. They're about as normal and staid as people get.
They also all seem to be members of the Hardheads. They know what's best, and they know how they want to get it. Since they work together, they all know law intuitively, and know when it's getting broken.
There's not much of interest in the town, except for the faction headquarters right in the centre of town. The harmonium keeps a huge base in Melodia - larger even than the one in Sigil, or so goes the chant. It's an imposing palace, dozens of stories tall, and it extends into the ground as deeply. It's a large block of a building, and it runs for hundreds of yards on a side. Inside, they've got numerous prisons for the guilty, meeting halls, and places where they can retain thow who've strayed from the Harmonium's idea of goodness. If a berk's not a member of the Hardheads, she doesn't belong there, and she's going to find that out but fast.

Militia

The Miliatia is, a body might expect, the Harmonium. These cutters've been trained on the Streets of Sigil (or maybe those on the streets of Sigil were trained here - it makes little enough difference). There's countless foot patrols of three, with a watchman commend the three. The patrols have absolute power on the streets: anyone defying them is automatically guilty of something. Anyone who tries to run finds that the streets fill up with soldiers in a hurry, what with the whistles the patrols use to signal each other. It's tough life, being a criminal in Melodia.
Thing is, here the Harmonium has absolute power. They don't have the Guvners watching over them to see that everyting's strictly legal. No, the Harmonim has all the time in the world to make sure that a body's not thinking wrong thoughts. Someone who's not willing to try to deceive to the Harmonium interrogatiors might be looking at a long time there.

Services

Of course, it's easy to rustle up the militia here, but what else has Melodia got to offer? Not much, according to the average planewalker. It's got people who're trained in rehabilitating broken minds, and training grounds for soldiers, and forges and smithies and all that. Ther's precious few inns or restaurants or anything else a traveler might need, because Melodia's a place for people to settle in, not visit. If a body doesn't like that, well, a night in the jail might make them change their mind.
Of course, there's the Indeps who've set up secret shop here, who make it their trade to spring those trapped inside the prison. The best of these is Galli Springer, who can't bear the thought of anyone being imprisoned. He, like the other members of his group, wear medallions masking their alignments. He plays along with the deadly dullness of town, but he's learned to truly hate the Harmonium in his time here. He'll spring a body for free if it'll hurt the Harmonium, but he does ask for donations so his work can go on undetected. Of course, the group works in utmost secrecy, for there've been several close calls that have nearly gotten the whole setup scragged.

Local News

Ther's precious few secrets in Meldoia - what one body knows, she feels the rest should know. Still, those items that're best kept secret from visitors are kept well. However, it's barely known that the high-ups in headquarters have declared an all-out offensive on the berk allowing known criminals to give the laugh to the Harmonium jailers. There's got to be some trickery here, and anyone who's not well known the leaders is suspect.
Also, there's rumor that the Hardheads are planning another attempt to take back Nemausus - soon. It's not known what form the attack'll take, but it's going to be epic, that's for certain. The Guvners and modrons are working togethe ron keeping it, and it's strained relations back in Sigil. This is major, and there's no denying it.

Population

10.000

Location under

Arcadia

Owner/Ruler

Nicolai Mabru

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Killeen Caine

Owning Organization

The Harmonium